MUSC Health Hematology & Oncology - Florence Medical Center

Dr. Reem Akel is a medical oncologist and hematologist practicing at MUSC Health Florence Medical Center. Dr. Akel earned her medical degree from the American University of Beirut. She completed Internal Medicine residency at Indiana University followed by Hematology/Oncology fellowship at the University of South Florida, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, FL. Dr. Akel believes in providing personalized care for her patients, utilizing the best evidence-based treatments available. She strives to provide her patients with the utmost care and compassion at every step of their cancer journey.

Dr. Sushma Pavuluri, DO is a hematologist and medical oncologist at MUSC Health, where she is dedicated to providing personalized care to patients throughout their cancer journey. Her approach centers around building strong, meaningful relationships with her patients and providing them with compassion, clear communication, and evidence-based treatment options. Dr. Pavuluri earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tennessee, where she developed a strong foundation in patient-centered care. She went on to complete her internal medicine residency at Franciscan Health in Illinois, gaining broad clinical experience and a deep commitment to service and community health. She completed fellowship training in Hematology and Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston where she gained extensive training in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of cancers and blood disorders.

Ozma Niven, is a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is a Savannah, Georgia native and a 15-plus year Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor. As a cancer survivor herself, she has a special interest in lymphoma and cancer survivorship care. She is highly recognized for her empathetic approach and good bedside manner. Niven sees patients with a variety of cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer and strongly believes in personalized cancer care. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Berry College. She also graduated with honors from Armstrong Atlantic State University Bachelor of Science Nursing program. Niven later earned her Master of Nursing degree in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care with honors from Georgia Southern University. Before joining the MUSC Health - Hematology and Oncology team, she worked in the field of oncology as a chemotherapy-certified registered nurse and nurse practitioner at Summit Cancer Care. She also worked as a nurse practitioner at Savannah Vascular Institute and assisted in complex vascular surgical cases. She holds certification in ONS/ONCC chemotherapy and immunotherapy, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support and Basic Life Support. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society of Nursing, and the Oncology Nursing Society as well as the APRN Council of Coastal Georgia.